Adolescence And Training

[ActuallyAngela]

My previous star of the show is beginning to get more and more distracted with training, especially at our weekly formal training. He's supposed to graduate his level 2 training next week. We had a practice yesterday and there is no way he'd have passed. Sniffing around, ignoring me, jumping on everyone, crawling all over the place.

He's 8 months old in a couple of days and the trainer mentioned 'adolescence'.

This morning he's destroyed his outside bed and pulled up a stack of weed netting and dug holes - I suspect not necessarily due to boredom because he sleeps inside and is allowed to spend most of the day inside with us if he pleases. He's walked daily, big walks and often lots of running.

He's a crossbreed with labrador in him which would explain the mass destruction we've discovered outside!

Basically, how do you survive this phase and pass training? Lol. We're pretty consistent with his training at home and he does well when out and about with his recalls but I can see he's slowly starting to ignore commands and doing whatever he pleases.

[Tassie]

I think sometimes you just have to assume they know nothing, and start training all over again, as if you were working with a pup with no training. Little, high intensity, high reward rate and often. Don't try to go through the full exercises he'll need for the est - just the basic bits - to restore his confidence and yours.

[Nekhbet]

Put your foot down and dont take the crap from the dog. If he's not interested in training dont let him stuff about, go put him away for 5 minutes, go have a coffee and try again. Dont want to work? You dont even get to stand here and do what you want. Yes it's a trying time and yes the warm burst of weather is also driving dogs a bit potty. Dont let him ignore you, raise your expectations and rewards really have to be earned. If he rejects reward, move on. If he sniffs, jumps etc give him a pop of the collar and move away so he cant self reward and ignore you.

[ActuallyAngela]

Thanks for the responses :)

Just updating: he passed his level 2, although he wasn't fantastic. But none of the dogs seemed to be and they are all around the same ages so potentially having the same issues. One couldn't even sit the test at all. I'm actually relieved there is a bit of a break in formal training for a few weeks so I can try to get my head around these new behaviours,

I managed to get him to learn a new trick in time which is really positive. I'll soldier on with consistent training at home and then after his break return to his formal training sessions.

[grumpette]

Oh the joy of owning a male dog, that is a slow maturing breed, and going through teenage hood. You have my sympathies.

You will survive and a wonderful dog will come out the other end. As Nek said, don't accept his teenage crap. If he does not come when called, go get him, straight back on lead and continue on. If he does not sit, make him sit, small reward. Ask again. If he sits big reward.

Good luck. You and Pax will get there :D

[Stressmagnet]

Ah yes. Ernie is 7 months and a lovely boy but he's starting to ignore me. Because he can.

I'm reverting bsck and have resorted (oh the shame!) of rewarding him with cheese twisties since he is now (yawn) bored with chicjen/hotdogs. Gets me some looks in class but it seems to be working. Frequent rewards; collar pops and junk food. He's all teenage boy. :D